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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25141516">Soundbending</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indigomagic/pseuds/Eve103221'>Eve103221 (Indigomagic)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I mark people. DEAL WITH IT. [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>I’m gonna straight-up mark everybody, I’m sorry, Katara finds out about Zuko’s scar, Katara learns more than she bargained for, Zuko joins the gaang</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:14:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,764</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25141516</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indigomagic/pseuds/Eve103221</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Katara and Zuko have both lost family.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I mark people. DEAL WITH IT. [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1855135</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>46</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Katara</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I don’t know why I keep marking characters, but I like doing it. A little too much. So I’m gonna keep doing it AND NO ONE CAN STOP ME!! :)<br/></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     “Katara, <em>please </em>go to sleep. I’ve been listening to and feeling you toss around for hours. It’s driving me crazy.” </p><p>     I lay there, ignoring Toph, trying to go to sleep and trying not to move as much so Toph wouldn’t feel me.  </p><p>     Eventually, I assume I must have drifted off, because I was woken by a low voice carrying a quiet melody. A voice that was absolutely not anywhere near clear and probably never would be. A voice that I really didn’t remember being that hoarse, the kind of voice that you felt in your own body. The kind of voice that made your throat hurt to listen to it. And.....</p><p>     I didn’t exactly mind. Marked were interesting. As long as they didn’t kill you, of course. I’d never met one before, because the water tribe hated them. In my tribe, someone finding out that you were Marked was a death sentence. </p><p>     “Leaves from the vine, falling so slow, like fragile, tiny shells, drifting—”</p><p>     “I’m dreaming, right?”</p><p>     That voice belonged to Zuko. It was unmistakable. I was sure Zuko’s voice had been clear at some point, but now.....he always sounded like his throat was full of rocks or.....well, like he was Marked.  </p><p>     “Katara.....”</p><p>     “What are you doing here?” I asked, hoping it wouldn’t be too obvious why I was asking. <br/>     I could tell him.....</p><p>     <em>Nope</em>, I told myself,<em> do </em>not <em>mention that you can literally feel his voice. </em></p><p>     “I ran away,” Zuko said in that impossibly rough voice. “I betrayed everyone, so I decided to come back to one of those people. I decided to find a new family.”</p><p>     “You’re not the only one who’s lost family,” I said quietly. “I did too. I lost my mother in the war.” </p><p>     “You already know how I lost my family. I was banished and then I betrayed everyone. But.....” </p><p>     I reached up, and my fingers brushed his scar for a second before I pulled my hand back. “How did you.....?” I started, not sure how to phrase what I wanted to ask. </p><p>     “My father,” Zuko said flatly. “My father did that. I was challenged to an Agni Kai, and I couldn’t fight him. I thought I’d have to fight a general, but when it turned out I had to fight my father, I couldn’t do it. So he put his hand right here.....” Zuko put his hand on my face, not touching my skin. “And <em>melted</em> me.” </p><p>     <em>That wasn’t what I was asking. </em></p><p>     “What about.....is that how<em>.....</em>why.....”</p><p>
  <em>     I don’t exactly know how to ask this. </em>
</p><p>“I mean, you can’t see or hear very well on that side, right?” </p><p>     “Right.” </p><p>     “So is that also why.....” I traced the mark, trying to follow the burned skin to somewhere that would ask my question for me so I wouldn’t have to do it verbally. My hand slid down the side of his neck, where I encountered another scar, one that wasn’t as easily visible.</p><p>     <em>Whoa. I was right.  </em></p><p>     The skin was raised in the elemental symbol for air. </p><p>     “Oh,” I said. <em>Oh, I probably just embarrassed the living daylights out of him. </em>Asking someone if they were Marked was never easy, especially if it turned out they weren’t. But I’d heard how rough his voice was and I’d needed to know. </p><p>     Zuko nodded tersely. “He wanted me to learn a lesson. So he banished me in more ways than one.” </p><p>     “What are you doing? I thought I told you to go to sleep.” </p><p>     I sighed inwardly. “Hey, Toph.” </p><p>     “Hey, Toph,” Zuko echoed. </p><p>     Toph froze. “Katara, that’s Zuko. I told you I never forget a voice, didn’t I? And—well—Zuko’s isn’t exactly easy to forget. He’s like.....Marked or something.” </p><p>     “Try ‘scarred,’” Zuko said flatly. He sounded almost like he was trying to use it to hide his mark from Toph. But the thing was, it would be much easier if he wanted to hide his scar from her. She couldn’t see that, so she’d only be able to find it if she touched it. But the mark that she could hear..... she’d have found that in an instant. </p><p>     Toph walked up to Zuko. “Can I touch it?” she asked. </p><p>     “Go on.” Zuko guided Toph’s hand. “This is my normal side.” He moved her hand to the other side of his face. “This is my scar.....” I saw Zuko cringe, and Toph probably heard it somehow, as he guided her hand down to his neck. “And this is my mark,” he whispered. “It’s—”</p><p>     “Earth,” Toph breathed. </p><p>     “Air, actually. Though there isn’t much of a difference between the two for me.” <em>Yes.....I suppose there wouldn’t be. </em></p><p>     Toph hissed a curse. “Are you telling me that your father.....he actually.....burned you to the point that he <em>Marked </em>you? Like, elementally? Except it doesn’t.....it’s permanent.” Usually, marks came and went with either emotion or bending. Or both. But Zuko’s was permanent. </p><p>     “Yeah. I can’t see or hear very well on this side either. That’s something I’ve never told anyone about the night I got the scar. I’ve told people that my father did it, that I lost my sight and hearing, but I’ve never told anyone that.....” his husky voice cracked, jumping a few octaves, and the sudden shift sounded strange. It didn’t match up with how low Zuko’s voice usually sounded. “I’ve never told anyone that long after my skin was completely seared, he kept going, kept melting me. And then he stopped burning me for a second and moved his hand down to my neck.” <em>Oh, no.</em></p><p>     “He said, ‘Now you’ll truly know what it’s like to be an outcast.’ He probably burned my neck worse than my face, to make sure that I ended up marked. The waterbender who tried to heal my face managed to avoid leaving a bad scar on my neck, but just like no one could fix my sight or hearing, no one could fix my mark either.” </p><p>     “So you’re not elementally Marked,” Toph said. </p><p>     “No. I’m not. And I’m not tattooed as Marked. You can barely see the brand on my neck. It’s easier to feel....and hear..... than it is to see, so everyone just wonders if I’m Marked or not.” </p><p>     “Wow. Your own father.....I actually thought you were somehow a firebending earth Marked.” </p><p>     “I <em>am </em>a firebending earth Marked.” </p><p>     Toph grinned. “Welcome to the Gaang. You can teach Aang firebending.” </p><p>     <em>Four hours later.....</em></p><p>“TOPH! YOU’RE CRAZY!” </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Zuko</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     What. Was. I. Thinking? </p><p>     I’d never realized before, but I saw it. When Katara heard me, when I told her why I was the way I was, I saw it. Her pupils dilated a little. Her expression changed. I saw her discovering her interests right then and there. </p><p>     Because of <em>me. </em></p><p>And Toph....that was the worst part. When Toph looked at her. Or....turned in her general direction. I saw the moment when Toph knew. When Toph realized exactly why her friend was with <em>me </em>of all people. </p><p>     <em>You can teach Aang firebending. </em></p><p>     Could I, though? Could I try to focus on Aang with Katara standing there, constantly running scenarios, wondering what would happen if I slipped, if I broke, if I used a mark? With <em>me </em>running scenarios, wondering what would affect her, what I could do without consequences? Could I focus on Katara’s.....<em>interests.....</em>and Aang’s needs at the same time? </p><p>     “Zuko.” </p><p>     I must have jumped a mile. </p><p>     “Toph,” I rasped. </p><p>     “Oh, good. I was hoping it was you I heard and not Katara.” </p><p>     I winced. “Yeah.....it’s me.” </p><p>     Toph wrung her hands. It was the first time I’d seen her look nervous about anything. </p><p>     “So, about you and Katara earlier. There’s something I might want to tell you about her. She’d kill me if she knew I told, so don’t tell her that I told. I just figured it out myself, but I was spying on you two. I felt the way she reacted to you. So I thought I might tell you that she.....she uh.....she has a.....a you <em>know</em>.....” </p><p>     <em>Spirits</em>. So she really did.    </p><p>     I swore shamelessly. “She <em>what</em>?” </p><p>     “She has a....you know.....”</p><p>     My hand wandered up to the second scar, the one that Marked me.</p><p>     Katara. Me. My mark. Her reaction. It all made sense.</p><p>     “Oh,” I said.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Toph</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     I could feel them—Katara and Zuko. I couldn’t feel Aang, but that was to be expected. I could get his approximate location based on where Katara and Zuko were. They seemed to be circling around Aang, both using their elements on him at the same time. </p><p>     Katara had asked me not to tell. Zuko had asked me not to tell. Basically, they’d asked me not to tell each other about Katara’s <em>little secret. </em></p><p>     And therefore, that was exactly what I was going to do. I would tell Aang. He probably wouldn’t understand, not exactly, but he would understand enough.</p><p>     There was a thud, a high-pitched groan, and suddenly I could feel Aang again.</p><p>     “Good job,” I heard Zuko say. “You’ve gotten better at blocking me.” His words were breathy, so I guess that made Aang feel better—he wasn’t the only one who was tired after that.    </p><p>     I felt Katara’s heartbeat speed up. </p><p>     “I’ll be....back,” she said. </p><p>     Her footsteps came closer to me. </p><p>     “Wow,” I said, trying to assume a casual position against what felt like a tree. “You really don’t know how to handle this, do you?” </p><p>     “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Her voice was calm, but her heart was racing. </p><p>     I smirked. “Uh-huh. Like I can believe that after hearing you and Zuko last night. Zuko’s Marked. You react to it. It’s not hard to put two and two together. I get it, though. I’m blind—voices are a big part of how I ‘see.’ I guess they’re part of the way you ‘see,’ too.” </p><p>     “<em>Toph</em>. Don’t do this to me.” </p><p>     “Oh, I’m doing it, sister,” I said. I was enjoying this. Putting her on the spot. Maybe I’d get Zuko next.<em> “Kimi wa koe no miryoku wo katteiru.”  </em></p><p>     “I do<em> not!</em>”</p><p>   “Katara!” Zuko yelled. “You coming?” </p><p>     “We—no, actually, Katara—has something to tell you!” I answered. </p><p>     “Toph, I swear I will kill you.” </p><p>     I heard and felt Zuko approach. I also felt Katara utterly panicking next to me. </p><p>     “What is it?” </p><p>     “Oh, nothing,” Katara said tightly. “I’m just plotting Toph’s death.” </p><p>     “And I’m plotting your shaming. You know,” I added, raising my eyebrows at Zuko. “<em>Interest</em> shaming.” </p><p>     I felt Zuko’s surprise. “Uh....interest shaming?” </p><p>     I grinned. “Katara has a—”</p><p>     “TOPH!” </p><p>     “Oh. That.” </p>
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